A growing number of real estate professionals are advocating for the removal of days on market (DOM) from public listings, arguing that the metric disadvantages sellers. However, Mark Gordon, co-owner of Christiania Realty in Vail, Colorado, says such a move would undermine the transparency that makes real estate markets function efficiently.
The push to hide DOM stems from concerns that prolonged listing durations signal weakness, leading buyers to submit lower offers. Critics argue that while sellers must disclose how long a property has been available, buyers reveal little about their own motivations or qualifications. This asymmetry, they claim, gives buyers an unfair advantage.
But Gordon counters that removing DOM creates friction rather than resolving inequities. “Knowledge, data, is the lubricant that creates transactions,” he said. “Every time we remove that lubricant, what we’re doing is creating metal-on-metal friction and creating roadblocks that keep a transaction from occurring.” He notes that even if the MLS stopped displaying DOM, AI-powered tools and algorithms would easily reconstruct the metric from listing dates, making the data impossible to suppress entirely.
Rather than viewing a high DOM as a scarlet letter, Gordon reframes it as an invitation. He highlights buyers who actively search for listings with longer DOM, seeking perceived value. “A lowball offer is a million times better than no offer,” he said. “At least now we have a starting point. We have the ability to create something.” By engaging with such offers and countering strategically, sellers can turn an apparent liability into an opportunity.
Gordon emphasizes that the real threat to sellers is not data exposure but silence. A listing with high DOM benefits from an agent who can generate conversations rather than hide information. He advises sellers to welcome low offers as engagement, not insults. “Instead of being insulted and upset by a so-called lowball offer, we should be thanking them because they took the time to offer to buy your home,” he said. This approach keeps negotiations alive and can lead to a satisfactory sale.
The debate over DOM reflects a broader industry tension between transparency and control. The outcome will influence how MLS systems operate, how brokerages compete, and how consumers trust the process. For buyers, a high DOM may signal an opportunity rather than a defect. For sellers, transparency remains a powerful tool in attracting interested parties.
Mark Gordon is co-owner of Christiania Realty, a luxury real estate brokerage serving Vail, Colorado. Learn more at vailcoluxuryhomes.com.
